ms. castro thank you very much. >> any other comments if colleagues? >> will we add all the board members to the resolution. >> yes. happy to do that. >> commissioner walton. >> so this executive board was given on any birthday 33 years prior to the map i'm still youngest enough but it is definitely important to remember the injustices and of the abusive power and scenarios and things that have happened in the past just imagine being a student or a family member in this audience or this community in san francisco and waking up one day and being removed and taken to a place basically at the drop of a hat and being told this was something that was necessary because of wartime somewhere that was going on so if you can put yours in this place you'll see the importance of making sure our students remember and understand some of the past injustices that have happened said in the pathologist i'm a happy this is the first resolution i've officially signed on as a member of the board. >> thank you very much mr. walton. >> any other comments i want to thank my c

castro no. thank you very much. >> ms.soler thank you for that powerful testimony and for providing very specific benchmarks that the cuban dictatorship needs to follow if cuba truly is to be free. thank you so very much and i would like to yield the floor to ms. fonseca for such time as you may consider. [speaking spanish] >> translator: my name is -- [speaking spanish] >> translator: i was born in 1970 and two cuban family that since 1959 had been branded as a dissident from the state. [speaking spanish] >> translator: were classified as counterrevolutionaries because we were opposed to the incipient castro regime. [speaking spanish] >> translator: for over half a century cuba the castro regime has violated and violates human rights. [speaking spanish] >> translator: from the beginning crimes murders political prisoners and people discriminating. >> translator: all those who speak out against the regime are brutally repressed, imprisoned or murdered. [speaking spanish] >> translator: in spite of having been raised within

ms. castor, for the purposes of a unanimous consent request. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady from florida is recognized. mr. castro: thank you mr. speaker. mr. speaker -- ms. castor: thank you mr. speaker. i ask that the house bring up h.r. 861 that quoo keep the department open so it can carry out its mission of keeping the american people safe. the speaker pro tempore: as previously announced, unanimous consent request cannot be entertained. mr. polis: mr. speaker, my colleague from california, ms. chu, has a solution to the funding impasse at d.h.s. i'd like to yield to her for the purposes of a unanimous consent request. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady from california is recognized. ms. chu: mr. speaker, i ask unanimous consent that the house bring up h.r. 861, the clean department of homeland security funding bill that would keep the department open so it can carry out the mission of keeping the american people safe. the speaker pro tempore: as previously announced, the unanimous consent request cannot be entertained. mr. polis: mr. speaker, i yield to the gentlelady from michigan, mrs. dingell, for the purposes of a

castro regime. we will then hear from ms. solar who has been the leader of the ladies in white movement since the death of the founder. the ladies in white are the wives of female prisoners -- political prisoners. she and fourth other members received the prize for freedom of thought by the european parliament in 2006. but the castro brothers barred them from attending the award ceremony. she and her husband has remained in cuba since his release rejecting an offer of immigration from spain in order to continue their struggle for human rights and democracy in cuba. i would also note that the ladies in white have been nominated by us and others in a joint request to the noble peace prize committee along with dr. beshet, another affro cuban and medical doctor who has been tortured horrifically as well. he testified here as you know by way of a phone hookup and told us do not -- do not end the embargo. get the conditions first. get human rights endureable human rights before that embargo is lifted. and he said it at great risk t

ms. fonseca it is with this brutality and much worse -- [speaking spanish] >> translator: that the castro controlled the cuban people. [speaking spanish] >> translator: they do this to constantly show the people what the cost of rebellion is. [speaking spanish] >> translator: i want to emphasize that this type of repression continues today right now in cuba. [speaking spanish] >> translator: cubans cannot elect their leaders. [speaking spanish] >> translator: children are indoctrinated into schools and those who do not follow the brainwashing cannot finish their study a. [speaking spanish] >> translator: the people have been condemned to sparsity hungry and misery by the regime. [speaking spanish] >> translator: a people without freedom of expression with all the media controlled by the government and hungry or easy to manipulate. [speaking spanish] >> translator: people think only about how to feed their family and although they do not like the way they're living they can only think about survival. [speaking spanish] >> translator: the cuban people are tired of imposition and dictatorshi

ms. jacobson the opportunity assistant secretary jacobson, to answer the alejandro family. how can she explain to her daughters why their grandfather, who was killed by the castro regime, his life meant nothing and the personal who was in jail as a co-conspirator of the murder of her father was pardoned, set free and returned to cuba and received a hero's welcome, what does she say to her girls? >> let me start out by that i can never bring back her grandfather. and i can never do more than express my sadness and my condolences to her at the start. >> when she was told -- >> this should not have happened. >> by you and others that a trade would not take place, a trade by any other name, this was a swap, was it not? >> but madam chair, i just want to say, an exchange of intelligence agents between two countries is something that this government and previous administrations have done many times. >> but had the state department not met with the family and didn't the state department time and time and time again tell her that girardeau hernandez would not be set -- jerardo hernandez would not be set -- gerardo hernandez would not be set free by this government? did

castro brothers barred them from attending the ceremonies. i would also note that the ladies in white have been nominated by ms. ros lehtinen and i and others for a nobel peace prize committee. and along with another medical doctor who's been tortured as well. he testified here as you know by way of a phone hookup and told us do not -- do not end the embargo embargo. get the conditions first. get human rights and durable human rights at that before that embargo is lifted. and he said it even though there is great risk to himself in articulating. he pointed out as many others have pointed out that europeans have been trading with cuba for decades. with no a --. then we'll hear from ms. fonseca who grew up in a household that opposed the administration based oen the principles and religious belief. due to her family's faith she was denied the opportunity to complete our studies. 2004 became that member of the pro human rights party. and joined the parks movement in havana. that same year she also participated with the ladies in white as the lady of support. she and her family have experienced numerous state organ

ms. jacobs and the opportunity secretary jacobsen to answer that questions. how can marlena alejandra explained to their daughters whether grandfather who was killed by the castroregime and his life meant nothing and the person who is in jail as a co-conspirator of the murder of her father was pardoned, set free and returned to cuba and received a hero's welcome. what does she say to her girls? >> let me start out by saying that i can never bring back her grandfather and i can never do more than express my sadness and my condolences to her. it's something that should not have happened. >> when she was told by you and others of the trade would not take place this is a swap is it not? >> madam chair i just want to say an exchange of intelligence agents between two countries is something that this government and previous administrations have done many times. >> but at the state department not met with the family and didn't the state department time and time and time again tell her that her although hernandez would not be set free by this administration yes or no? >> to the best of my knowledge secretary kerry said to us that such a swap would not take place. a swa

ms. mack. i'm not quite sure what your purview is. because the question i'm asking is -- follows up on what commissioner -- and chairman castro were talking about, which was, to what extent do we require as a matter of law and contract that the protections that someone would be affording in a federal facility are afforded at a private facility as well? and i mean by that not just pria. i mean by that training i mean by that access to records for inspection that are -- that apply to federal federal agencies. what is it that we require as a part of our contract right now to ensure that people who we send to these private for profit institutions are afforded at least the same kinds of rights and protections as they would if they are housed in a federal facility? >> so i don't want to try to skirt the question, kevin will have more information on that, but i will say kind of as a header to what his response might be that there isn't a difference in the type of standards that apply. you know, he already responded to you about us not being aware about the legal obligations of a contractor, for example. but, i.c.e. applies their standards across

ms. jacobson the opportunity to answer the alejandre family questions. how can she explained to her daughters why their grandfather, who was killed by the castro regime his life meant nothing? and the person who was a co-conspirator of the murder of her father was pardoned, set free and returned to cuba and received a hero's welcome? what does she say to her girls? >> let me start out by saying that i can never bring back her grandfather. and i can never do more than express my sadness and my condolences to her at the start. >> when she was told -- by you and others that a trade would not take place, a trade by any other name. this is a swap, was it not? >> but i just want to say an exchange of intelligence agents between two countries is something that this government and previous administrations have done many times. >> had the state department not met with the family and did not the state department time and time and time again tell her that her hernandez would not be set free by this administration? yes or no? >> to the best of my knowledge this -- >> did secretary kerry state right here to us that such a swap would not take place? >> a swap for alan

ms. jacobsen the opportunity secretary jacobsen to answer that questions. how can marlena alejandra explain to their daughters how their grandfather who was , killed by the castroregime , and his life meant nothing and the person who is in jail as a co-conspirator of the murder of her father was pardoned, set free, and returned to cuba and received a hero's welcome. what does she say to her girls? >> let me start out by saying that i can never bring back her grandfather and i can never do more than express my sadness and my condolences to her. it's something that should not have happened. >> when she was told by you and others of the trade would not take place, this is a swap is it not? >> madam chair, i just want to say an exchange of intelligence agents between two countries is something that this government and previous administrations have done many times. >> but had the state department not met with the family and didn't the state department time and time and time again tell her that heraldo hernandez would not be set free by this administration yes or no? >> to the best of my knowledge . >> secretary kerry said to us that such a swap would not take place.

ms. ros-lehtinen: mr. speaker, today we commemorate the murder by the cuban regime of three u.s. citizens and one u.s. resident, carlos costa, armando alejandro and pablo morales. 19 years ago today, the castro brothers ordered the shootdown of the civilian brothers to the rescue planes and blew them out of the sky over international air space during an unarmed humanitarian mission. these volunteers were devoted to search the florida straits to aid those who risked their lives on rafts to flee the oppressive yoke of the castro regime that continues to rule over the island. it's shameful that this same regime that is responsible for killing these innocent heroes is now sitting across the table from u.s. government officials and will be hosted by their own department of state later this week. not a proud week for strong american values, mr. speaker. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: job. -- the gentlewoman yields back the balance of her time. for what purpose does the gentlewoman from texas seek recognition? jackson scrax jackson to address the house for -- ms. jackson lee: to address the house for one minute, revise and extend my remarks. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, the g